Stripped Wheel Stud

IrishPirate · Post by **IrishPirate** » Fri Jul 03, 2009 6:57 am

Hey, Nice to find a site like this for Vibe's. I'm looking for advice on fixing my wheel studs. I did a search and could not find anything close enough to help.I've got two separate problems with the wheel studs on one wheel. One stud snapped off. Easy enough to fix, just remove the disk rotor and replace the stud. Then use a new nut after putting it all back to together. $4 and half an hour's time.However, when i tried to take the remaining lug nuts off, I found one that keeps spinning and doesn't come off. I believe these studs are pressed in and this particular one is stripped in the pressing. So, now I can't get the wheel off to repair the other stud. Anyone have this happen before?? Any ideas??I see where I can separate the calipers from the wheel assembly, but do I also need to remove the wheel hub to get access to the backside of the disk rotor?? If so, I would need special tools, right??Thanks in advance for any help or info.

keithvibe · Post by **keithvibe** » Fri Jul 03, 2009 7:08 am

this might help youhttp://matrixowners.com/index.php?showtopic=82570

IrishPirate · Post by **IrishPirate** » Fri Jul 03, 2009 12:57 pm

Hey KV, thanks for the link, but unfortunately, it doesn't help. I'm stuck at the point of still trying to get the wheel off. I have one stud that just spins when I turn the nut. I can't get that one nut off and so, I can't get the wheel off to replace the snapped stud.Any other suggestions out there??? I truly do not want to take this to the dealer and be gouged with every fee and surcharge they can dream up.Thanks again for the help!!

moonstonemike · Post by **moonstonemike** » Fri Jul 03, 2009 10:16 pm

Are you using a impact gun or by hand? Try keeping tension on the backside (inside of the nut) remove the other nuts, then either have someone pull the wheel towards the outside of the car near the side where the nut is then try loosining it (perferably with a impact gun) the tension may keep the pressed side from spinning as much. Or loosen the other four so they are not contacting the rim then lower the car again and maybe even turn the steering wheel a little in the direction that would add presure on the backside of that last nut and try to back it off. Keep a little tension on the jack at this point to be safe. Sorry if my explanation is confusion.

dragon64 · Post by **dragon64** » Sat Jul 04, 2009 12:37 am

Do you have steel or alloy wheels on the car? If you have steel wheels try making a cut line with a Dremel and a cut off wheel along one side and across the top of the nut. Hit the nut with a hammer and chisle directly into this cut line. If the nut was made to the proper hardness it should crack and split. There is a good chance you will need to have someone cut it off with either a gas/oxy or plasma torch. Yes this can be done even with alloy wheel with recessed nut. All the person that is doing the job needs to do is make a conical heat shield out of thin sheetmetal and put it around the nut to deflect the heat and molten metal away from the wheel and car. This is a common procedure up in the Great White North. Any wheel and tire shop or many corner garages can do this for you not necessary to always go to see the dealer.

IrishPirate · Post by **IrishPirate** » Sat Jul 04, 2009 1:19 am

Moonstone and Dragon. Yeah both are great ideas, especially lowering the car back down and turning the wheel. I will try that tomorrow.BTW: Alloy wheels. I should have mentioned that in my first post.Thanks much guys!!! And Happy 4th.

RIT · Post by **RIT** » Sat Jul 04, 2009 5:04 am

Just curiuois = can you drill it out with a drill that has the same O.D. as the I.D. of the lugnut, or is the lug-bolt hardened steel ? Keep us posted on how you get it off, please. This is something I have feared for a long time.

Sublimewind · Post by **Sublimewind** » Sun Jul 05, 2009 3:21 am

Quote, originally posted by IrishPirate Â»Hey KV, thanks for the link, but unfortunately, it doesn't help. I'm stuck at the point of still trying to get the wheel off. I have one stud that just spins when I turn the nut. I can't get that one nut off and so, I can't get the wheel off to replace the snapped stud.Any other suggestions out there??? I truly do not want to take this to the dealer and be gouged with every fee and surcharge they can dream up.Thanks again for the help!!Drill through the top of the cap... the lugs are covered with a cheap tin cover, over an open ended nut.. fill the cap with penetrating oil... While that is soaking away, try and find some thin metal, something that you can form a heat shield.. hopefully you have something you can apply some heat with... a propane torch, hopefully a MAP gas torch (hotter) and if you had acetylene it would be even BETTER.. It's called the "heat wrench" for a reason.. Now, if you've stripped the stud to the point of just free spinning, you're going to have to have the lug torched off, if you have the aluminum wheels, you'll likely need a new wheel..

RIT · Post by **RIT** » Sun Jul 05, 2009 8:21 am

Another idea - bring it to a good garage, and have the tires rotated. They will assume they did it, and fix it for "free" - maybe??? Sorry, professional mechanics, I am not really suggesting that he really do this.

IrishPirate · Post by **IrishPirate** » Sun Jul 05, 2009 10:53 am

Hey everyone, I attempted the idea by Moonstone and it did not work. It seems I could not get enough leverage on the wheel to put tension on the spinning stud.I thought about another option and will give it a shot tomorrow. I am going to try to drill through the nut and into the stud, then tap the stud and put a bolt in it. Then I'll have to figure out how to turn the nut one way and the stud the other. If that doesn't work, off to a shop go.... Maybe I can get other work done, like wheel bearings or something. Do the front wheels need the bearings repacked??peace.

star_deceiver · Post by **star_deceiver** » Sun Jul 05, 2009 1:58 pm

Use a grinder with a zipdisc and cut it off

IrishPirate · Post by **IrishPirate** » Mon Jul 06, 2009 10:48 am

Hey all, Well, I got it done. The problem with the spinning stud was not what I thought it would be. The stud itself was fine (until I ruined it!), but the lug nut was stripped. I'll recap what I did because, for sure, someone else is going to have the same problem.Maybe some of you know this already, but the lug nut is a three-piece assembly. There's a steel nut, a washer and an outer faux-chrome cover. It was the cover that was spinning, not the stud like I originally thought. I drilled through the cover to drill a hole in the stud and tap it so I could screw a bolt in there. I got the tap in and it broke off in the stud. but I saw that the nut was spinning and the stud was not. That's when I realized the nut had a cover and it was causing all my problems.This was easy enough to fix. The cover is a soft metal (which is why they gaul up so easily!) and I could tear it off no problem. Check out the attached image. You can see a whole nut and the one I mauled. I could then take the steel nut off and the wheel.Then I replaced the studs like how it has been discussed before. The one thing I noticed is the front wheel has notches that you align the stud with to push out. Put the new ones in. Tightened them up with a lugnut, removed the lugnut and put the wheel on as normal.Hope thi shelps someone else doing a search for stripped or spinning lugnuts.Peace.

Attached files

Stripped Wheel Stud

Stripped Wheel Stud

Re: Stripped Wheel Stud (IrishPirate)

Re: Stripped Wheel Stud (keithvibe)

Re: Stripped Wheel Stud (IrishPirate)

Re: (moonstonemike)

Re: (IrishPirate)

Re: Stripped Wheel Stud (IrishPirate)

Re: Stripped Wheel Stud (Sublimewind)

Re: Stripped Wheel Stud (RIT)

Re: Stripped Wheel Stud (IrishPirate)